DECORATION PRODUCTS THAT MATTER
A start-up company in the interior decor industry needed more information about consumers' preferences and needs regarding interior design products. The company also needed insight into how to stand out in the market compared to other companies of the same type.
Open university studies 2018
Private Start-up company
PROJECT INFO
Service design
User research
Market research
MY PROVIDED EXPERTISE
Business model canvas, desk research, competitor analysis, in-depth interviews, probe research, customer journey, customer profile
USED METHODS
CHALLENGE
Interior decor industry faces challenges such as changing consumer preferences, sustainability conserns, economy volatility and intense competition.
What kind of interior decor items hold relevance and significance for consumers, encouraging them to buy less while preserving nature's resources?
And how can you stand out from the intense competition?
EMPATHIZE
In our initial meeting, we delved into the company's requirements while filling out the business model canvas. This exercise shed light on the objectives and goals of our study, providing a solid foundation for making the project plan.
To gain valuable insights into our target audience, I opted for a multifaceted approach, including in-depth interviews, a probe research and desk research.
For the in-depth interviews and probe research, I successfully recruited 8 participants. During the interviews, we meticulously mapped out the purchasing behavior and preferences of our users. Towards the end of each interview session, we further refined our approach for the subsequent probe research. In this research, participants observed their own daily living and working environments. Leveraging platforms like WhatsApp, I assigned observation tasks, and participants responded with a variety of media, including pictures, videos, text, and voice messages.
Given the start-up's lack of internal data, I conducted an extensive desk research focusing on customer insights and competitor analysis.
DEFINE
After the research phase, I identified meaningful and necessary interior decor product features based on the results.
During desk research, I came across the “Miten Suomi sisustaa” study (in English, “How Finland decorates”) by Vepsäläinen, which extensively examined Finnish decorators and defined user groups. I utilized this research for defining targeted customer groups for the company. I identified the primary customer group as the "Sustainably Responsible" group, constituting 21% of Finnish decorators. Secondary customer groups were defined as "Towards the Dream Home" (22% of Finnish decorators) and "Discovering Individuality" (20% of Finnish decorators). Based on these customer groups, I determined how the company aims to meet their needs.
I also developed a customer journey through resale, considering all touchpoints where customers can be assisted and company values can be highlighted.
Based on competitor analysis, I determined how the company can differentiate itself in the market.
